India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev was shocked by current skipper Virat Kohli’s statement of ‘we were not brave enough’ after India lost to New Zealand in their second match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai.
After the defeat, speaking to the host broadcaster during the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli said: "Quite bizarre. To be very honest and brutal upfront, I don't think we were brave enough with bat or ball."
However, Kapil Dev, who is regarded as an all-time great cricketer, said that for such a big player of Kohli’s status it is the last thing a captain should say or feel.
"For a big player like him, it is a very weak statement. If that is the kind of body language the team has and if that is the kind of thought process the captain has, it is really tough to lift the team. I felt a little strange hearing those words. He isn’t that kind of a player," Kapil said on ABP News.
"He is a fighter. I think he got lost in the moment or something. A captain should not say words like ‘we were not brave enough. You are playing for your country and he has the passion. But when you say such words, fingers will definitely be pointed," he added.
Thanks to this 8-wicket loss in the T20 World Cup 2021, it has become extremely difficult for India to qualify for the semi-finals as Pakistan with three wins has one leg in the knockouts, while New Zealand has 3 easy matches hereafter. With two losses by 10 wickets and 8 wickets, India’s net run rate has also taken a beating.
Looking back at India’s poor show, Kapil added that no amount of criticism is going to be enough for a shoddy performance such as the one dished out by India on Sunday evening.
"I don't have words. How much can we even criticize? A team that claims to have played the IPL and gained practice, when it plays like this, there will be criticism. When you win, no amount of praise is enough, but right now, no amount of criticism is enough because they did not play the kind of cricket expected of them. You fight and lose, we understand. But today there was not a single performance which we can be happy about," Kapil signed off.
